Ken Skates: Formally.
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to begin by thanking Members for their contributions today and for the opportunity to speak in this debate. As has been made clear in the course of this debate, the Severn crossings are a key link in our transport and economic infrastructure, and, as part of the strategic M4 corridor, the crossings are the primary gateway to Wales, and they...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank Members for their contributions, especially the Member for Caerphilly for bringing this important debate forward today? We know that microbusinesses and SMEs are the lifeblood of the economy here in Wales. They support more than 62 per cent of people in employment across the country, and they account for more than 90 per cent of enterprises...
Ken Skates: Yes. Tata Steel directly employs around 3,600 people at Port Talbot. Tata is currently recruiting 49 experienced agency staff to replace 21 vacancies arising from natural attrition and 28 as a result of voluntary severance.
Ken Skates: I’d agree entirely with the Member that nothing should compromise health and safety in the workplace, be it in the steel sector or any other sector for that matter. My understanding is that the 49 workers are over and above the 750 tranche that the Member refers to. All are trained and hold safety passports. It’s also my understanding that the unions and management have agreed to this...
Ken Skates: Yes, I would join with the Member in welcoming the recruitment of 49 additional workers, which is to support production. I think it’ll send a message that the bridge has indeed worked, is working, and the steel sector in Wales is in a position of relative strength compared to where it was back in January of this year. We will go on working with Tata and with all steel companies in Wales to...
Ken Skates: My understanding is that this is strategic, and it was remiss of me not to give more detail to Bethan Jenkins regarding the question about the agency workers. These are Tata staff—former Tata staff—who have been laid off. They are being brought back into work, and I’m sure that that’s something that we should all welcome.
Ken Skates: We continue to have discussions with Tata regarding steel sites in Wales, but I’m unable to go into any detail about these projects due to the ongoing negotiations that are taking place and the discussions that are being carried out right now. But, I do hope to be in a position in the coming weeks to make an announcement.
Ken Skates: Yes. I’ve been very clear that I am working on refreshing economic priorities as part of a wider piece of work. I’m considering the range of panels, bodies and groups that provide advice to me.
Ken Skates: I’d like to thank the Member for his questions and say that it’s not necessarily urgent, this question, because it is part of that process of consulting on a new economic strategy, a strategy to make Wales more prosperous and secure—work that is going on, work that has been going on over the summer and the autumn through the winter and into the spring, and so, consequently, this is an...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Adam Price for his questions? I’m pleased that he welcomes the work that I’m undertaking at the moment in looking at the entire landscape of advisory boards. It is extensive and I’ve drawn similar diagrams to understand exactly how many boards and organisations there are. We’ve not reached a final decision as of yet in terms of what boards will be created, but I would...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Through this statement, I will demonstrate to the Chamber that this Government is extremely well placed to respond to the unprecedented challenges we now face in the global business environment. Increasing the value of exports and the number of exporters in Wales have been central pillars of our economic strategy for some time. This aligns with the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Russell George for his questions and for, indeed, welcoming this statement, which is timely? Further statements of this nature will come forward as additional trade missions take place and there is more information concerning the state of UK and Welsh exports. I do believe there are exciting opportunities, but there is an immediate challenge for us in dealing with some negative...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Adam Price for his questions and say, yes, I would be very open to the prospect of Wales hosting a world expo, and I’ve asked officials to look at the potential of this in future years? Unfortunately, I didn’t see the site of the Osaka world expo. For the most part, my trip consisted of travelling from one office base to another, but I did catch sight of what was an incredible...
Ken Skates: Well, the vast majority of businesses that take part in trade missions are SMEs and just to demonstrate how we are intensifying our activities abroad, in the last two months, we’ve taken more than 110 different businesses on trade missions and to exhibitions overseas. In addition to Japan, we’ve been to India, Ireland, Germany and Belgium, to name but a few. In terms of e-exporting...
Ken Skates: I think one thing we can be sure of with Brexit is that if businesses in Wales have to pay tariffs, or if tariffs have to be paid, rather, on their goods and services, it will inhibit their ability to export. It will not be a benefit. I’ve already outlined the reasons for the fall in the value of exports, largely being attributed to energy products, but in other areas, there has been a...
Ken Skates: Yes. Officials have been discussing various aspects of this project over the last two years and I’ve asked that discussions continue to determine whether a satisfactory business case can be submitted, demonstrating financial viability and the economic, cultural and linguistic benefits of the development, and explaining the need for public sector intervention.
Ken Skates: I’d like to thank the Member for his questions and say I do hope that a conclusion will be reached very soon on this matter. The Member is also right that we need to distinguish between S4C’s move and the entirety of Yr Egin project, which is an ambitious creative industries hub for Carmarthen. In terms of S4C funding for its share of the project, S4C has already indicated that it...
Ken Skates: I’d like to thank Eluned Morgan for her question. Just as Simon Thomas indicated, the creative industries are of enormous benefit to the Welsh economy. They are growing faster here in Wales than anywhere else in the UK, bar London, and it’s our intention to ensure that the creative industries go from strength to strength. The Government has a proud record, I believe, in supporting the...
Ken Skates: I’d like to thank Suzy Davies for her questioning and say that I’d be keen to look at new growth of the Welsh language and businesses that support the Welsh language anywhere in Wales, whether it’s in north-west, south-west, south-east or mid and west Wales, anywhere across Wales. So, I’m keen to support any project that can deliver economic, cultural and social benefits to the...
